Tempting Fate
by ninjaangelprincess
Summary: extended version of my oneshot. Severus and Charlie fall for muggle girls when Albus decides hiding out in America is a good idea until the Death Eaters can be rounded up. Rated for language, mood swings, and temper tantrums.
1. After the War

Author's note: This is just an expanded version on my oneshot 'Tempting Fate'. The titles are the same because it's the exact same story, just longer and with a lot of the odd gaps that I left in the oneshot filled in. Unfortunately, I don't have a beta reader for either of my HP related stories and the grammar-check on my computer sucks simply because it's a machine and can't interpret all the different rules without severely frying a few circuits. Put simply, feel free to correct any stupid grammatical errors I make even though I'll try to correct as many as possible before hand. There might be a few changes made too.

Other notes: Severus Snape and Charlie Weasley paired with OCs. AU, obviously. Rated for occasional language use and violent mood swings due to female hormones. Also, some temper tantrums as well that border on violent.

Disclaimer: I'm not J.K.R.; if I was, OotP, HBP, and DH would not have happened, Sirius and Remus would be married, Harry would return to Hogwarts as DADA teacher, Dumbledore would have made Severus and Harry reconcile, and the two would have ended up together eventually.

--

Tempting Fate Chapter One After the war

--

May 1998

Harry Potter and Ron Weasley sit in the Shrieking Shack, hovering over their Potion Master as their friend Hermione Granger chants various healing spells to try and save the dying man.

"He's coming around again, 'Mione," Harry sighs in partial relief and adds pain-blocking charms to his best friend's spells. "Professor Snape, are you alright?"

A stifled moan of pain is Severus Snape's response to the foolish Gryffindor's question.

"The greasy git is fine. Can we go now? Please," Ron whines. He still doesn't like the dilapidated old house on the outskirts on Hogsmeade village from an incident during his third year at Hogwarts. Pity he had been forced to accept Professor Snape's status as a spy for the Light; it gave him one less reason to hate the git.

Harry and Hermione both round on Ron as one; they're too preoccupied trying to get Professor Snape to a stable condition to be able to do more than yell at the red-head. Neither of the two look up at a soft pop from behind them, Ron's sigh of relief enough to tell them the person who had just Apparated into the house is an ally.

Albus Dumbledore gently shoos the three Gryffindors away from Severus so that he could take over healing him for them. Albus tells the trio that most of Voldemort's followers have fled the castle grounds but that his closest followers and the madman himself are trapped within the Great Hall. A few simple spell suggestions later and Albus tells Harry to go and finish Voldemort once and for all.

On their best friend's request, Ron and Hermione remain with their school's Headmaster to help assist with Professor Snape's recovery. Both Gryffindors say silent good luck charms for their friend. They had been through too much this year to lose him, and the war against megalomaniac formerly known as Tom Marvolo Riddle, at the final confrontation between the Wizarding world's savior and the evil psychopath.

--

Five days later, an exhausted Madam Poppy Pomfrey summons two of Hogwarts' house elves up to the undamaged Infirmary. The only two sections of Hogwarts damaged were the Entrance and Great Halls. Predictably, the two that appear are her person house elf, Fiona, and the house elf known for his obsession with Harry Potter, Dobby.

Poppy tells the two of them to bring food up her finally conscious patients. There had been relatively few casualties from the final battle and even fewer fatalities, the most notable being Vol-the Dark Lord himself. Poppy shakes her head in disgust at herself. She, like many others, is not yet able to say the deceased insane man's name but at least she is trying. Back to the fatality toll, the only others to have perished were Atonin Dolohov – killed by a Cutting Hex from Draco Malfoy; the man had been found missing his head and wand hand, the Carrow siblings – both happily hexed into two large piles of ash by Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, Dolores Umbridge – the idiot actually had the nerve to show her ugly mug at Hogwarts; the Weasley brothers made her regret that move; the mutated toad, literally, is currently a test subject in the Department on Mysteries' division studying the effects of tandem magic performed by six very angry red-headed brothers barely keeping their tempers in check, and former Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge – found dead in his home; believed to have been executed for crimes against the Wizarding world by the current Minister Rufus Scrimgeour and justified by Fudge's refusal to acknowledge Volde-

Voldemort's return. Surprisingly, or rather not so surprisingly depending on what you know, the only Death Eater in custody that hasn't yet been given the Dementor's Kiss is Peter Pettigrew. The betrayer of Lily and James Potter is to stand trial before the Wizengamot under Veritaserum as soon as Albus is fully recovered.

Highly content with herself, Poppy finishes gathering the needed potions for her charges, i.e. the worst of the casualties, promptly going over to those in the most need of help first once she has drunk a Calming Draught and Pepper-up Potion. She would need them both. The former is to help control her temper and the latter is to help her magic recover a bit quicker. Magical exhaustion was just as bad as its physical counterpart and everyone currently present in the Infirmary is under the strain of both.

After a full ten minutes of arguing with Severus Snape, Poppy, rather unprofessionally, puts the stubborn Head of Slytherin into a head-lock and dumps a poison cure-all, an infection blocker, a pepper up potion, a blood replenishing potion, and a time released sleeping potion down the man's throat one by one. She had force fed him Skele-grow and repaired Cruciatus-caused broken bones while he was still unconscious.

He should be thankful that he'll be able to stay awake for two hours so he can get something to eat. They should all be really, Poppy reasons before moving onto her next finally awake charge, Albus Dumbledore.

Albus doesn't bother protesting and merely takes the potions Poppy places on the man's lap without question. Albus recognizes them as an infection blocker, blood replenishing potion, pepper up potion, and a time released sleeping potion. The mediwitch would have the wing of the castle empty again in a week's time if she had her way.

Next on the mediwitch's list are the seven Weasley children, though Poppy could hardly call them children now. They, like Albus and Severus, receive a basic set of potions, as would everyone in the Infirmary unless they needed extra treatment. Poppy explains this to Ginevra when the red-headed girl asks.

"That makes sense but who would need extra treatment?" Ginevra asks, concern audible in her voice. She had been in the Infirmary the longest, having been knocked unconscious by Umbridge in front of her brothers near the beginning of the battle.

Poppy makes a coughing noise that sounds similar to 'Severus' as she hands Hermione Granger her set of potions to take without protest.

"That isn't very nice, Madam Pomfrey," Hermione scolds mildly, her tone an indication of her thoughts being one with Poppy's.

"No, but it is the truth. Severus should have known enough to take some form of anti-venom potion and a quick healing potion before going to confront Voldemort," Poppy clarifies for the confused looks on the Weasley childr-sibling's faces.

The mediwitch tones out Severus' muttering and Albus' light snickers as she turns to her next charge, Draco Malfoy.

The blond Slytherin protests much the same way his godfather had but drinks the potions obediently, having seen what happened to Severus when he refused to willingly take his medicine.

Nodding her approval, Poppy hands Remus Lupin a Wolfsbane potion along with two sets of potions, one for himself and the other for Sirius Black. The mediwitch knew well enough that Remus would take the potions without protest but Sirius would hoot and holler and whine and cry much like he had during his school years. Back then, the only ones who could get Sirius to cooperate had been James and Remus but now the task falls to Remus alone.

After another ten minute round of arguing with one of her charges, Poppy resorts to the same treatment Severus had received. With the her arm securely around his neck, Poppy forces a set of potions down the throat of a very reluctant Harry Potter, making it a point to include a migraine potion in order to rid the teen of said painful migraine, and thus his bad mood, and a nutrient potion because of the boy- young man's still unnaturally scrawny for his age form at the end of the school year.

"Now that all of you have had basic treatment for now," Poppy taps her wand on one of the bedside tables. Dobby and Fiona appear with a bed tray of food for each person in the Infirmary, Poppy herself included. "We can all use something to eat."

--

True to Albus' prediction, Poppy had all of them healed up and out of her Infirmary a week later.

Deciding to take care of the loose ends as quickly as possible, Albus flooed to the Ministry and summoned the Wizengamot. Pettigrew's trial was over in a record time of thirty minutes and he was sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss. After meeting with Minister Scrimageour, the two decided that until all of the remaining Death Eaters could be captured, it would be best for Harry, Hermione, Draco, and the Weasleys to 

leave the country. The youngest Weasley could be tutored by her eldest brothers since three of them had been Head Boy in their days and Hermione as well seeing as she would have been Head Girl had the school year been a normal one.

Upon his return to his office, Albus quickly informs the group, now including Arthur and Molly Weasley who had come up from brewing potions for Poppy in the dungeons, of the decision. The only reason needed is that crazed Death Eaters such as Bellatrix Lestrange were still out there somewhere and would be hell bent on killing Harry to avenge Voldemort. Hermione and the Weasleys are in danger because of how close they are to Harry and Draco can't risk returning home for fear of his father killing him for siding with the Light. Remus and Sirius would remain at Hogwarts to teach Defense the following school year and would be acting as body guards until Albus and Severus could locate a sufficient safe house. Albus and Severus would return to their posts at the school afterwards and spend weekends and holidays with the group. Albus had bluntly refused the Minister's suggestion for using a simple Fidelus charm. The old wizard plans on using that and so much more to protect the people he calls his children and grandchildren.


	2. House Hunting

Author's Note: The town this story is set in is real. As are the businesses but they'll more or less just be described in passing with no names mentioned. The names of the people and streets are fictional obviously.

--

Tempting Fate Chapter Two House Hunting

--

August 1998

Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore sigh deeply into their mugs of Firewhiskey. The two are sitting in a pub in Wizarding America, Wizarding Baton Rouge in Louisiana to be precise. They had spent the time since their recovery from the Battle of Hogwarts last spring-summer searching the country for a suitable safe house. Twenty six states later and they still haven't had any luck.

"It's a shame that house in Hawaii is on the island that hates our community with a passion," Albus sighs after sitting in silence for a few minutes. "I rather liked the ocean view from the southern windows."

"Those idiotic muggles would have burnt down the house the instant we moved them in," Severus snorts before taking a drink from his mug. "I liked that old town out along the Idaho-Montana border, personally."

"You would like that dump," Albus retorts. "They'd be stranded in the middle of a mountain range."

"Exactly."

"And what if they needed medical assistance or something happened. An avalanche, perhaps?" Albus levels a glare at Severus over the top of his mug.

Albus orders a final round of drinks for the two of them in celebration of winning their argument, causing Severus to be extremely tempted to hit his head off the bar. The older wizard was a good drunk at least, so long as he didn't drink _any_ Wild Turkey shots. Severus groans in dismay as the bartender passes them their drinks: Wild Turkey shots. The only slightly buzzed Potion Master would be stuck dealing with a talkative and rather fun loving Hogwarts Headmaster. Poor Severus. If only he had known that the bartender knew Albus' weakness from their days at school, although the bald man looked at least a hundred years younger.

--

October 1998

All Hallows Eve is two weeks away and the people of Wizarding Salem, Massachusetts are preparing for the festivities. Albus and Severus both agree that this town's muggle counterpart would be a perfect place to hide Potter and his companions. Only problem was that muggle Salem is _still _notorious throughout the Wizarding world for the Salem Witch Trials. No self respecting Witch or Wizard, be they in hiding or not, would ever move to that town. It would be an utterly unacceptable act of disrespect for the martyrs who had perished there; so much so that the last idiot to do such was sentenced to Azkaban for ten years by the American Ministry of Magic even though the Wizard in question was of Russian citizenship. For one of those exceedingly rare moments in history, the two Ministries were in complete agreement although the Russian Ministry upped the sentence to twenty years.

"This is ridiculous, Albus," Severus snaps from across their shared hotel suite. "We've got three states left to search and still haven't found a single suitable location."

"I do not need reminding of the current situation, Severus," the normally calm Albus snaps back before popping a lemon drop into his mouth and handing one to the dark haired man across the room. "I insist. You're welcome. Now, we need to figure out what to do."

Albus shakes his head at Severus and his infallible temper. Even with a Calming Draught laced lemon drop, the man could still snap at a moment's notice. The poor maid on housekeeping duty for their suite is cowering in sheer terror and doing her best not to cry. After a few carefully chosen words, Severus is off in his room sulking and the maid is chatting quite freely and rather animatedly with Albus.

"Did you say Death Eater?" the Squib maid, Rosalie, asks.

"Yes. Is there something you know about Death Eaters in America?"Albus refuses to admit it but he's beginning to doubt his brilliant plan.

"The Ministry put a tracker on Voldemort's Dark Mark when he came to power the first time. Any and all willing recruits to Voldemort's ranks were apprehended and given the Dementor's Kiss the moment they became a registered Death Eater. The only exceptions were those who had their families threatened," Rosalie explains, not even the slightest bit of fear in her name at the deceased Wizard's name. "Anyway, there was only one Death Eater who escaped capture. He died two years ago in a town in Pennsylvania. The place used to be filled with both muggles and magic folk up until about fifty or so years ago. Now there's nothing but muggles and Squibs there. 

Anyhow, there was an attack in June two years ago. Damn bastard tried to copycat Peter Pettigrew from seventeen years ago. He killed thirteen people, muggles and Squibs alike. My father, the Minister, says that because the town hasn't had any recorded Witches born for over twenty years, the two suspected Witches killed the bastard without knowing it. According to the Wizarding paper and the Auror in the store when it happened, the two seventeen year olds mimicked the Killing Curse in self-defense so nothing was ever done since the Death Eater was dead. The Ministry officials thought they two of them were just Squibs who got a burst of magic from an adrenaline rush so no one bothered to check if they were really Squibs or not. Father believes them to be Witches but the Ministry refuses to listen."

"Interesting," Albus muses. "Can I possibly see a copy of the Auror's report?"

"No need, just look through the town library's archives for the Prophet's article. All our news comes from Auror reports and official transcripts. They did a remarkable comparison between the muggle and Wizarding version of events on page three, right after the main article on the Wizarding version of the incident. Why is this so important, sir?"

"Forgive me, dear girl, _Obliviate_," Albus informs the maid that she is just about to start cleaning the suite and that he and Severus would be checking out before dawn the next morning. "Care to join me for an after dinner stroll, Severus?"

Severus nods in understanding; he had been listening to the entire conversation from his room so as not to say something inappropriate and ruin any chance for obtaining invaluable information.

Two hours later, at precisely nine o'clock, the librarian quite literally throws the men out of her library. Muttering about her being some relation of Madam Pince using some colorful words, Albus and Severus return to their hotel suite, intent of Apparating back to Pennsylvania in the morning. They had visited the town in question but hadn't given it a second thought; the only Squibs they met were the Mayor and Police Chief and neither one of them mentioned the incident.

--

"Err- I haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about, sirs," the Mayor of Carbondale Roland Kinderlings lies to Severus and Albus.

"Listen here you buffoon, we've read the newspaper report so don't lie to us," Severus snarls after receiving a nod of permission from Albus. "We know about the Death Eater and we want to speak with those girls. We would like to discuss an 

arrangement with them. Now tell me where they live or else I wish you luck explaining your non-human appendages to the muggle population of this town."

"I suggest you listen to my companion, Mayor Kinderlings," Albus looks at the Squib over the top of his half moon spectacles, a knowing twinkle in his eyes. "You are one of the less ignorant Squibs. You know that a threat such as Severus' is anything but a joke coming from a world renowned Potion Master."

"Address is Number 40 Rosewood Ave over in the old district that all the purebloods used to live in. They changed their last names to Saberling when they turned eighteen in the spring last year. Be kind to them, they don't trust anyone but one another anymore. Even their friends from high school can't get close to them anymore. My daughter was close friends with them both but they refuse to talk about anything past the incident with her," Kinderlings sighs dejectedly. He may be wary of the two Wizards before him but he would feel bad if he didn't at least give them a warning about the nineteen year olds.

"Thank you, Mayor Kinderlings. We will contact you once we have spoken with the girls and both Ministries," Albus informs the man. "You are the lower authority in this case. Farewell for the time being."

"Thank you for the warning," Severus adds as he follows out of City Hall and across town to the old district.


	3. The Saberling Girls

Author's notes: Just as a warning, this part skips between perspectives a bit but for good reason.

--

Tempting Fate Chapter Three The Saberling Girls

--

If someone who knew them was looking at Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape at this very moment, they would either never recognize them or have some sort of odd reaction to the site of the two Wizards walking up Rosewood Avenue in the middle of the day on a Saturday. They had transfigured their robes upon leaving City Hall and would transfigure them back in front of the Saberling girls in case they needed to be convinced that magic is real.

For now though, much to Severus' dismay, Albus is dressed in dark purple bell bottom pants, nearly black long sleeved Elizabethan cuffed shirt, and dark walnut wooden flip flops. The old Wizard has a yellow peace sign dangling from his neck and his hair and beard are tied back loosely with matching yellow hair ties.

Severus, on the other hand, is dressed much more normally albeit his outfit is almost of a single color. The Potion Master is wearing black jeans of a comfortable fit, a deep emerald green _normal _–here Severus shoots Albus a slight glare- long sleeved shirt of a rather snug, defining fit, his normal black shoes, and a black jacket.

If not for the fact that Halloween is just under two weeks away, the inhabitants of Rosewood Avenue would be looking at the pair, Albus in particular, much more scornfully than they currently are.

"How much longer can this street possibly be?" Severus scowls back at the number of the house they had just passed. The house is only Number 20 and they have already walked half way up a thankfully not so steep hill.

"It appears as though we've only come about half way up the street," Albus replies cheerfully, a surprising spring in his step for someone his age as he completely ignores Severus' scowling.

--

Ten minutes later after climbing the steepest part of the street, Albus and Severus approach the final block of the street. They pass Number 35 on their right and 

Numbers 36 and 38 on their left. The two lots on the left make up the bottom quarter of that side of the block where as the lot on the right makes up that same section on its own. The next house up on the right is Number 37 and the lot adjacent to it holds Number 39 with Number 41 just past it.

Severus shakes his head in disgust while Albus stares over his half moon spectacles at the only lot remaining on the left side of the street. The corner lot Number 40 rests on occupies the remaining three quarters of the block. Just by looking at it, Severus estimates the lot to be about the size of the Quidditch Pitch at Hogwarts. The lot has some maple trees scattered about the property, most of which line the street except for one or two that apparently form the boundary with the neighbor's yard. The lower half of the lot is mostly bare with the exception of a tree stump surrounded by what looks like a small rose garden, a rectangular flower garden in the center of that section of the yard, and a swing for two people facing the gardens. The center of the yard neither Severus nor Albus can explain but the gravel driveway contains a small black automobile that has a small blue-green rose above the left front wheel. As for the house itself, Albus recognizes the design from back near the turn of the century, stating that the house is probably around a hundred years old. The two story house has white siding and dark green, almost black, roofing with a decent size wooden porch that connects the front and back doors of the house. A large bay window overlooks the road from the ground floor and a smaller window looks out over the oak porch.

A loud cawing catches their attention as the walk up the cement sidewalk to the front door. As they near the foot of the porch steps, the source of the cawing becomes clear. Standing at the top of the steps being the gate is one of the Saberling girls, a forest green Macaw perched on her shoulder, both of them glaring at Albus and Severus. The girl before them looks intimidating enough in her blue jeans and black shirt adorned with a red dragon, her brown hair pinned to the back of her head in a messy half bun. The bird on her shoulder, with the red fringe on its forehead, grey-black beak, and yellow eyes, merely gives the two Wizards something else to contend with.

--

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Toni Saberling demands of the two men on the front porch steps, hazel eyes cold and fierce.

"Forgive our intrusion, but are you one of the Saberling girls?" the obviously older of the two asks.

"Yes," the brunette raises an eyebrow at the men. "Who are you and why are you here?"

"My name is Albus Dumbledore," the white haired man introduces himself before motioning to his companion. "And this is Severus Snape. We are here to request the assistance of you and your pseudo-sister, the other Saberling girl."

"We are hardly _girls_ anymore," Toni sneers defensively, effectively covering up her surprise at the men's names. She'd heard a few stories but refused to believe them. Hope wasn't something she and her sister Sam put much faith in nowadays.

"I told you this was ludicrous, Albus," Snape turns to leave. "These _girls_ know nothing about our world. They wouldn't understand if we told them and I'd rather not have to wait for the other one to return home."

Dumbledore gives Snape what appears to be a warning look. The Military Macaw, Kayla, caws loudly as a way to distract the men before they can argue. She'd lived in the Saberling house long enough to sense a fight brewing.

"What are you going on about? You're not suggesting that- well that, magic and the Wizarding world is real, are you?" Toni knows her tone is still harsh but can't help the curiosity and, though she'd never admit to it, faint hope in her voice.

"May we come in so that we may speak freely?" Dumbledore at least has manners, unlike Snape.

Kayla caws and Toni nods in agreement, opening the porch gate in the process. Unsure why she's even listening to her instincts, Toni allows the two to enter the house.

"Explain," she says rather bluntly as Kayla flies off to her perch in the next room while motioning for her guests, she guesses, to sit at the dining room table.

"Severus," Dumbledore warns before Snape can even open his mouth. "You will have to forgive him, Miss Saberling. Severus likes to believe he is more intelligent than others."

"It's fine, sir," Toni gives Snape a sickeningly sweet smile, a mocking gleam in her eyes. "Don't call me 'Miss Saberling,' please. It's Toni."

"Then I must insist you call us by our given names as well," Sna- Severus snorts at this and Toni nods before Dumbl- Albus continues. "Now, Toni, I do not like reminding someone of painful events in the past and forgive an old man for his 

ignorance, but what do you know about the Wizarding world? I am assuming you know of its existence at least from the Death Eater attack two years ago?"

In an instant, Toni goes from slowly warming up to the two Wizards back to relying on the sarcastic and withdrawn defensive nature she has when talking with anyone but her sister about the past.

--

"I know that those _Death Eaters_," here both Severus and Albus recoil imperceptibly at the undercurrent of hate in Toni's words, "who didn't betray their bastard leader all deserve to rot in that prison the Auror Sam and I overheard talking before he escorted us out of St. Mungo's, I think it was, mentioned to one of his co-workers."

"Is there anything else?" Albus asks gently, willing Severus to keep any comments he has to himself seeing as the man would most likely not be able to keep his tone neutral. "You seem to know enough to not be completely baffled by the request I have if you do not know the current situation in Wizarding Great Britain."

"Yes, the Auror explained to us that he would set up a charm for us to call a post owl if we wanted to understand anything about the Wizarding world. He said something about asking you to explain things because of your status," Albus takes Toni's apparently thoughtful silence as a sign that she has more to say.

Toni gives a low whistle and the Macaw ruffles her feathers to show she is listening. She tells the bird to bring whatever it is that the bird is seemingly looking at over to her. A few minutes of arguing and bargaining with the Macaw later and the feathered familiar lands on her owner's shoulder after dropping a newspaper on the table, some blue wing feathers and a red tail feather landing on it.

"This is what I meant for you to explain, Albus," Toni motions to the front page of the American Daily Prophet, her withdrawn aura fading. "Before you ask, I asked the Auror that escorted us back from St. Mungo's about getting a subscription to the paper. I figured it might help if we could know about other Death Eaters being captured. I'm guessing you want to ask us about using our home for a safe house until the remaining Death Eaters can be caught now that the war's over, right?"

Albus and Severus exchange concerned looks and scan the article while Toni scolds Kayla for complaining that the 'funny looking Wizard and his normal looking friend'-to use the Macaw's words- are blocking the moving picture. True to the girl's word, the article states that Albus and Severus are searching for a safe 

house for Harry Potter and his closest companions but that they are staying at Hogwarts until then.

"At least the idiots at press think we're searching for an island to hide them on," Severus comments dryly. "Is there a chance that the Auror Core dropped that hint to try and lead the Death Eaters to Azkaban Prison, Albus?"

"My thoughts exactly, Severus," Albus nods in agreement. "Toni?"

--

"Sam'll be home soon. We'll discuss it then," Toni shrugs and Kayla directs her attention towards the kitchen. "Tea? Uh coffee?"she adds with a hesitant look towards Severus.

"Allow me," Albus raises his wand and points towards the tea kettle boiling on the stove.

Toni recoils slightly at the sight of Albus shutting the stove off, seemingly creating three teacups out of thin air, and making two cups of tea and a cup of coffee. Not a bad reaction for someone whose initial encounter with magic was of a deranged idiot casting the Killing Curse on her family. She watches in wonder as the old Wizard levitates the cups, three teaspoons, the sugar bowl, and the gallon of milk that was inside the refrigerator onto the table in front of her.

"T-that was amazing," Toni smiles in spite of herself. "Thank you. How'd you do that?"

"With magic, how else?"Severus retorts sarcastically.

"A type of magic called Transfiguration. I simply turned the molecules in the air into teacups and used a type of magic known as Charms to move the objects from one place to another," Albus explains before Toni can say something back to Severus.

Kayla squawks indignantly about the three of them hogging the newspaper. Said Macaw takes the newspaper and flies into the next room to continue watching the people flying around in the pictures in the sports section. The would-be awkward silence for the next half hour until Sam comes home is filled by Toni asking various questions about magic and the Wizarding world along with Albus trying to keep sarcastic comments between Toni and Severus at a minimum.

"I'm home!" Sam's loud voice is followed by the kitchen door being slammed shut, as usual. "Hey Tone, I'm going- how come I wasn't told you were having company over?"

--

"Relax, Sammy," Toni takes her dark blonde haired pseudo-sister off to the side and explains things to her slowly and calmly.

Albus and Severus discuss quietly how to describe their little group in as positive of terms as possible. The general outcome of this is that Severus should talk as little as possible.

Snorting in irritation at the circumstances, Severus turns his attention towards the two girls. Yes, he would continue to call them 'girls' for as long as it takes to make at least one of them try to kill him. The girls are rather similar to one another. While one has a fairer complexion and darker hair and eyes, the other has a slightly darker complexion and not much lighter hair and eyes. Both of them have athletic builds although Sam is maybe four inches taller than Toni. Severus can't help but think that they'd make rather decent Quidditch players, judging by their builds alone. Sam could very well be either a Chaser or Keeper where as either of them could pass for a Beater going by the muscles in their arms.

"Alright, we'll hear them out," Sam sighs after a few minutes before coming over to the table and sitting in the seat across from Severus. "Toni's already told me who's who so don't bother introducing yourselves and I'm pretty sure she's already mentioned me."

"Yupp," Toni smiles cheekily at the other girl and sits across from Albus, foregoing her old seat at the head of the table. "Albus, can you tell us about this plan you have to hide Potter and his friends?"


	4. Should Be Slytherins

Tempting Fate Chapter Four Should-be Slytherins

--

"Alright, we'll hear them out," Sam sighs after a few minutes before coming over to the table and sitting in the seat across from Severus. "Toni's already told me who's who so don't bother introducing yourselves and I'm pretty sure she's already mentioned me. But to be clear, it's Sam, not Samantha."

"Yupp," Toni smiles cheekily at the other girl and sits across from Albus, foregoing her old seat at the head of the table. "Albus, can you tell us about this plan you have to hide Potter and his friends?"

"You two are really just going to be babysitters," Severus sneers before Albus can stop him.

Neither of the Saberlings respond to Severus' words, both of them blatantly ignoring the Wizard. Albus refrains from chuckling at the event but the twinkle in his eyes roars with laughter. He has to admit, the two young ladies would be more than able to handle the influx of people into their home if they agreed.

"How best to explain this," Albus muses, his twinkle glittering madly at the amused eye roll of the pseudo-sisters and muttering of his Potion Master. "Your lives really won't be altered much although you will need to continue living the way you do now to keep from arousing suspicion. Otherwise, I will take care of everything else. I will arrange for all of your utility bills and such to be paid from my vault at Gringotts bank. Let an old man spent his wealth on you in exchange for your help, I cannot take it with me into the afterlife, nor do I wish to, and I have no heir except for my brother but he is well enough off without my assistance. You will also have access to the vault for food, household supplies, and other necessities. And before you ask about how you will accommodate the extra sixteen people, Severus and I, with the assistance of a few other members of the Hogwarts staff, will take care of those details. Privacy wards and the like shall be erected so that no one who does not need to know will know. What do you think, ladies?"

"Other than the fact that you need to let Severus transfigure your clothing the next time you go somewhere disguised as a muggle," Sam comments wryly. "I don't know. Sixteen people is a bit much to deal with."

"Why not at least find out what they're like before we decide?" Toni gives Sam a pleading look.

Seems one of them is agreeing to the plan at least. Sam sighs in defeat and Toni asks Albus to describe them. Albus pointedly uses a Silencing Charm on Severus before answering.

"All sixteen people won't be staying here at all times," Albus explains, that damned twinkle glittering again. "Four of the people will be staying at Hogwarts for the majority of the time and only spending occasional nights here as an extra security detail. Severus and I will remain at Hogwarts more often than not where as Sirius Black and Remus Lupin will probably stay here on most weekends. Sirius is Harry Potter's godfather but he has missed out on much of his godson's life because of the war and Remus is a second godfather to Harry. Sirius is an Animagus, meaning that he can change from his human form to a large black dog at will. He has a temper and his comments are overly blunt but the kind and gentle Remus will keep him in line. Remus is a werewolf but Sirius will stay with him during the full moon. Both will be at Hogwarts for the school year as they will both be teaching at the school this year. Molly and Arthur Weasley are a kind hearted couple who will most likely take you in as their own as they have done for Harry, Draco Malfoy, and Hermione Granger. The seven Weasley children range in age from seventeen to twenty-eight but all of them are good people. The twins are your only concern though. They refuse to abandon their joke shop so they'll be running an owl order service from here. The rest of the Weasleys are too varied to accurately describe. Draco will probably insult the condition of the house until someone tells him off for it. Don't mind him though; he is from a wealthy, pure-blood, supremist family and is trying to overcome the prejudices he grew up with. Hermione is muggle-born so she will undoubtedly adapt to life here the quickest. She isn't the brightest witch of her age for no reason after all. Harry will no doubt adapt quickly as well; he is a half-blood but he lost his parents to Voldemort at a young age and was raised by his abusive muggle relatives only because living with them gave him blood protection from Voldemort until he came of age last year. I believe that's everything I can tell you other than that we will all treat you as a part of one very strange family."

--

Family. Albus said they'll be a part of a family. Those words resonate in the minds of both Toni and Sam. Sam excuses the two of them from the table and drags her sister off to the side to talk to, or rather argue with, her. Sam reasons that it isn't worth it and that it doesn't matter if they get to be part of a family other than each other again because they'll leave and go back home once the Death Eaters are caught. She doesn't want to go through the pain of losing her family again. Toni argues the exact opposite: that it is worth it because they'll be part of a family 

other than each other and that chances are they'll still stay in touch afterwards. She is the optimistic one despite not acting like it, believing that they _need_ to be part of a big family because it'll be good for them.

"Not a chance," Sam finally snaps a while later and regrets her choice the moment Toni's expression changes from pleading to crestfallen and then finally to devious. Turning on her heel before her sister can start talking to her again, Sam flees upstairs with Toni bounding up the steps behind her.

"Alright, look at it this way then," Toni catches up to her sister and blocks the blonde from entering her room. "If you don't want to be part of a family, then why not let them stay here simply because it's the right thing to do?"

Sam ignores her sister and hides in her room. Predictably though, that only makes Toni louder and more persistent. Toni smiles to herself and moves onto her last resort, guilt tripping her sister no matter how much she doesn't want to.

"Come on, Sammy, think about it," Toni whines. "If we don't let them stay than imagine how bad you'd feel if you found out that the Death Eaters ruined their family they way they ruined ours. You can't possibly say that you want what happened to us to happen to them, especially after that pleading and hopeful look Albus had in his eyes when he asked us."

Silence meets her words and Toni walks back downstairs, somewhat dejectedly. She had been sure that would work. Sam's voice stops her at the base of the stairs and she turns around in time to catch a pair of socks aimed at her head.

"You really need to not walk around barefoot," Sam slings her arm around Toni's shoulders and sighs in defeat. "You knew you won this argument the moment it started."

"Told ya," Kayla squawks in Severus' ear, making the poor man try to swat her away. "Ha ha."

"Smart ass Macaw," Severus grumbles and Kayla only laughs more.

"I'm guessing Kayla was able to predict the answer just going by how other discussions have ended, right girl?" Toni coos as Kayla flutters over to her and rubs her beak against Toni's nose.

"I'm taking this as you both agree to my request," the delighted twinkle in Albus' eyes worries Toni and Sam a bit but they nod in response all the same. 

"I'll make the necessary preparations upon returning to Hogwarts and will return tomorrow with the other professors."

"We'll see you then," Sam escorts Albus and Severus to the door while Toni sits at the table putting socks on her feet.

"We both have Sunday off so just send an owl to us before you come over so that we're home," Toni calls as she catches up to them.

--

"Of course," Albus calls back before he and Severus Disapparate back to outside the anti-Apparation wards of Hogwarts.

"You and that girl should both be Slytherins, Albus," Severus scowls. "You used a Silencing Charm on me without warning for Merlin's sake! And she quite effectively guilt tripped her pseudo-sister into agreeing! Their pet bird is no better! Laughing at me like that..."

"You might've said something scathing to them and ruined our chances had I not," Albus retorts stubbornly. "And that does not make us Slytherins. Plus, you deserved it for arguing with the creature. Merlin, Fawkes is going to throw a jealous fit. I was around a bird other than him."

--

"I can't believe you did that to me," Sam yells as she returns Toni's serve. The two are playing tennis at the courts by their old high school.

"Sorry, it was only other was to get you to agree short of blackmail," Toni laughs as she hits the ball back.

"You would do that too," Sam laughs and misses the shot.

"That's out, hun. Sorry," Toni snickers playfully.

"Rotten little snake! You distracted me!"

Laughter rings in the air as Toni sticks her tongue out at her sister and Sam chases her around the tennis courts and adjacent football field, each of them trying to tackle the other into the dirt.


End file.
